Communication in Adult Social Care Settings Reflective

Ai Identify four different reasons why people communicate.
1. to communicate how we feel
2. to communicate what we need
3. to build relationship with other people
4. to get informations we want
Aii Explain how effective communication can affect relationships in an adult social care setting between: a) Colleagues and other professionals – efective communication is important because we all work for the good of the core-member. Showing respect to colleagues’ and professionals´ skills, abilities and professional approach would establish good relationship which can help to provide good care. b) Individuals using the service and their carers – communication must be appropriate to abbilities of core-member. It also needs to be provided with dignity and respect to make relationship of trust. Aiii Identify three ways of finding out the communication and language needs of an individual. For each method, describe how effective it is at establishing the needs of the individual. 1. Observation – to identify special needs of core-members like hearing impairment, speach dificulty etc. 2. Studying previous records or case histories – helps to identify concrete disability proved by other profesionals 3. Communicating with family, friends and colleagues – family and friends now core-member for long time, they can be source of very usfull informations

Aiv Describe three factors to consider when promoting effective communication. 1. who is communicating – amount of informations, type of language, if core-member like person or not, abbility of core-member to talk 2. who is receiving information – abbility of core-member to understand (e.g. hearing difficulties), ability of assistant to understand (speach problems of core-member) 3. the environment – quiet, appropriate for communication.

Av Describe three verbal and three non-verbal communication methods and styles that a social care worker may use in an adult care setting. 1. verbal communication – spoken
– written (could be used as communication with core-member instead of speach or as a communication between collegues – daily records e.g.) – nonspoken (sounds person can make to communicate) 2. non-verbal communication – MAKATON – sighning language for people with learning disabilities – behavioral communication – e.g. turn off the radio and light in the evening means it is time to sleep – PECS – picture exchange communication system

Avi Explain why it is important to respond to an individual’s reactions during communication. – to show that we are listening; respond istelf is a part of a communication, we can show that we agree or disagree with statement

Avii Explain how an individual’s background can influence their communication methods. – it is important to know and understand circumstances and cultural context of core-member to understand his or her non-verbal communication. Different gestures might mean something different in different cultures, or can be learned spontaneously by core-member – in that case we need to know from family what does particular gesture meen. In verbal communication sometimes we can say something as a joke, but core-member could be insulted with this joke.

Aviii Identify three examples of barriers to communication and explain how you could overcome each barrier. 1. cultural differences – learn language of core-members, hire an interpreter, learn some words or phrases, get to know better the culture from what core-member came 2. distruction – try to eliminate – quiet room, turn off tv or radio if core-member is trying to say something, turn off mobile phone 3. terminology – use vocabulary appropirate to understanding of core-member, do not use complicated words

Aix Describe two strategies that you could use to clarify misunderstandings. 1. using two types of communication – to support verbal communication with nonverbal e.g. using MAKATON to make sure that core-member would understand what I am trying to say 2. verification of what core-member said to make sure I understood exactly what is he trying to say (e.g. “… . Is that what do you mean?”)

Ax A social care worker wants to enable more effective communication with individuals using the service. Explain how they could access extra support or services that may be helpful. – ask for interpreter if it is core-member who speaks different language; ask profesionals of particular types of communication

Task B Case study
You are a social care worker and a service user, Hannah, tells you that she is unhappy taking her new medication as she thinks she does not need it and so she is throwing it away. You know from her care plan that Hannah does need to take the medication regularly and gets confused. Hannah begs you to keep this confidential and not tell anyone especially her daughter, who she sees regularly, as her daughter will be very angry.

Bi How would you explain the term ‘confidentiality’ to Hannah? – I would say that she has right to keep inormations private if she wants, but I also have duty of care and in case she is doing something what can hurt her I need to consult with other professionals. But if she does not want I will not tell her daughter. Bii Identify the range of people who may need to know about Hannah’s situation, and describe any tensions that may occur if the information is shared. – general practitioner, social worker, houseleader, collegues who work with her as well or doing medication – I could lose Hannah´s trust to the future and she might get angry or sad and feel that she was betrayied.

Biii Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication. – do not talk about issues in front of collegues who do not need to know, who do not work with her, in front of core-members, keep records protected against reading by people, who should not read it. Biv Explain when and how a social care worker should get advice about confidentiality. – confidentiality is a part of induction care assistants have when they start to work in care home, they should get advice when they feel they need. Care assistants can get informations from company´s polices or from collegues who work there longer or house leader.